China Reconfirms Ukraine as its key Eastern European Partner

KYIV, Ukraine, June 21, 2011 -

The leaders of China and Ukraine signed an Agreement on
Strategic Partnership during an official visit of Hu Jintao, the
President of the People’s Republic of China, to Ukraine. In the
current year, the trade turnover between the two countries
increased by 80 percent. With China being  one of
Ukraine‘s top foreign policy priorities, Ukrainian
leadership expects bilateral goods turnover to reach USD 10 billion
in 2012.

“The friendly ties between our two nations established
historically. For nearly 20 years the diplomatic relations between
Ukraine and China have been developing steadily,” said the Chairman
of the PRC at the meeting with Viktor Yanukovych. In the course of
the visit, the Ministry of the Economic Development and Trade of
Ukraine and Chinese Ministry of Commerce signed a bilateral
relations Protocol on providing each other with a tentative list of
export-import goods. Also, the two parties signed an
intergovernmental agreement on providing free assistance to
Ukrainian government in the amount of USD 12.3 million.

In the framework of the meeting, the Ministry of Energy and Coal
Industry of Ukraine and State Energy Administration of China signed
a Memorandum of Understanding in the energy sector. According to
the Memorandum, the main areas of bilateral cooperation are as
follows: joint participation in projects in oil and gas sector,
exchange of information on energy facilities planned for
construction or modernization; cooperation in the peaceful use of
nuclear energy.

Viktor Yanukovych stated that the two countries could have a
fruitful cooperation in the area of aircraft construction and
engine production. He also pointed out that Ukrainian state-owed
construction bureau Antonov is eager to cooperate with
Chinese aircraft businesses in constructing large and medium size
carriers, turbojet transport airplanes, and production of An-70,
An-148, and An-158.  

This is the first visit the Chinese president paid to Ukraine
since 2001. On the other hand, Ukrainian President Viktor
Yanukovych paid an official visit to Beijing last September. It
resulted in China’s commitment to invest over four billion USD in
the infrastructure projects in Ukraine. During the state visit, the
parties also signed investment agreements focusing on the EURO 2012
projects.

For more information, please contact Maryna Khorunzha +380443324784 news at wnu-ukraine.com, Project Manager at Worldwide News Ukraine.